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Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Online Learning Background

Tonight the Board is voting on adoption of a new policy for on-line courses. At the time of introduction of this item, the Board had requested information about what was currently being done in the district. The information below is a new part of the Action Item being voted on.

At Introduction, Board members requested information on what current online learning activities are underway. We contacted the head counselors in the high schools and discovered that there is not a lot of online activity underway. Many schools reported that they formerly used the Digital Learning Commons (DLC), but ceased when the district stopped funding the program. A few schools have students doing online course through Brigham Young University. Students who do use online opportunities typically take a course for 0.5 credits/semester—the same as they would earn in an SPS class. Students appear to be taking courses all along the spectrum, including math, US history, science, CTE, health and PE. Students also appear to be taking classes both for acceleration and for remediation. For the most part it appears that students are paying for their own courses. We have had problems in the past with students abusing online courses (having other students do their coursework, etc) so some schools are fairly restrictive in what they allow. One principal who also responded to our survey noted that in the past the school has had a problem with online courses not being aligned to standards, and he noted that frequently the students are taking the courses simply for credit, not for knowledge. When the student then moves on to the next level of course and takes it at the school, the student frequently does not do well, because he or she has not acquired the knowledge or skill set through the online course necessary to progress to the next level. The issues raised by the counselors and principal are all reasons why we believe we must move deliberately towards increasing our online learning opportunities. While online opportunities can be a great benefit to students, we must ensure that the courses are being offered by an accredited institution, that the courses are aligned to state standards, and that appropriate safeguards are in place to avert abuse of the opportunity. Over the next year we will be working with the high school counselors (and middle and elementary, if appropriate) to identify the issues and solutions so that our students can have the appropriate online learning opportunities to enhance their education.

So many schools stopped using online learning when the district stopped paying and "it appears" that students are paying for online courses themselves. The former should be no mystery to anyone and the latter? Again, little documentation in this district of what actually happens.

It is good, though, that the Board asked for this information and district staff went out and brought it back to them.

my son took science through WAVA (Washington Virtual Academy www.k12.com) this year. We had to go through the district legal department to get sign-off, which took some work, but once it was done the course was free for us.

I thought WAVA was available to washington state students as a homeschooling option?

We are voyaging further into the TwiLight zone of fixed rulings to support the system.

Note appellants that originally had standing at the time the law suit (school closures - Briggs et al.) was filed over school closures and then looked for other options for 2009-2010 and left the SPS are ruled to NOT have standing by Judge Laura Inveen. (because they are NOT in the SPS now. (????)

Also the 68,000 page administrative record that never was certified correct by anyone as required by state law is judged good enough by Inveen.

Note when Federal Dept of Ed examined documents provided by SPS in a complaint over School closures and they took about two weeks full time to look through 50,000 + pages and found about 5% actually pertained to school closure decisions.

So now Inveen decides the current 68,000 page "not certified correct transcript" is good enough.

This is absurd.... the system is incredibly fixed if this is supposed to be acceptable.

I say Judge Inveen forget it ... lets go see if the State Supreme Court is any better than Superior Court. Let us see what the appellants with legal standing decide to do(??).

Standing rules have been in place forever. The attorneys representing the Appellants should have seen this coming and either moved to identify different plaintiffs, who would continue to have standing, or talked their clients into rethinking their decision to act in a way that lost them standing.

As to adding documents, courts do it all the time when they involve an issue that is to be decided by a judge, as opposed to a jury. Again, presumably Appellants' counsel informed his/her clients of this likelihood, when he/she discussed the issue.

"The system is incredibly fixed?" Your side loses on a procedural issue and you say that? Come on Dan.

Rosie, How can an argument be valid if no certified correct transcript as required by state law exists. To show a decision is arbitrary and capricious at the time the board made it, a correct record of evidence considered by the board at the time of the decision needs to be referenced. (But no such record exists......).

Have a child's school closed (when proper procedures are not followed), file a legal complaint and then be forced to sacrifice your child to the cause because standing will be lost if you send your child to Northshore SD while still living in north Seattle.

Is the above accountability?

Please read RCW 28A 645.020 --In consideration of Separation of Powers ....Decisions should be remanded back to the district when they are unable to follow the law in decision-making.

The district is unable to make decisions in the manner prescribed by law .... the SPS exclude evidence and violate proper procedures .... to show this a Certified Correct Transcript of evidence is needed.

The district has testified in interrogatories that they do not follow the law or have an interest in following it. interesting that you support your interpretation of Standing Rules but not RCW 28A 645.020

I read the statute. I don't agree with your interpretation. I didn't see the underlying briefing, but it would surprise me if someone thought they could succeed in keeping out documentation if there was an affidavit from someone that said something like "these were materials that were before the Board/District but which we failed to produce earlier." RCW 28A.645.020 does not compel the result you seek. Heck, it doesn't even suggest it as an alternative.

And in terms of the standing question, I accept your statement that there are other qualified appellants who are qualified to maintain a suit. I am also glad that the court followed long-established jurisprudence and removed those litigants whose action rendered their challenges moot. Courts are supposed to address the real issues between real litigants, not theoretical issues. They are busy enough with those. If anybody could challenge any rule, regulation, statute or governmental action just because they didn't like the result and felt that proper process wasn't followed, then we'd have to triple the size of our courts. Actual skin in the game is a check and balance against such overuse of this particular branch of govnerment

I disagree that the courts would be over-burdened from this type of action. Legal fees in the Successful math appeal were $13,140 with lots of footwork done with no cost by appellents and others. The win returned no legal fees to the winners only a finding of arbitrary and capricious accompanied by an Order of Remand. {Which rather than follow, the District has appealed. So more money will be spent by appellants and friends on the Appeals court action brought by the district} I fail to see that the public will be clogging the courts with expensive legal action, as there are no financial damages awarded or even legal fees awarded to winning appellants.

The district has essentially carte blanche to violate the State Constitution article IX as there are no enforcement provisions.It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders, without distinction or preference on account of race, color, caste, or sex.

Dan, your logic is off. When a court rules against you, they must be flauting the law and therefor you have to appeal it, but when a court rules against the district they are acting in bad faith to appeal? There is no sense in that. The arguement can be made using your logic that you and your friends are the ones clogging the courts with expensive legal actions that are without meritt.

Online learning is a big assist for students especially in developing their skills and talents. This is a great opportunity for them. Somehow, students must take responsibility also for their learning in order for them to improve in the next level.

Education Acroynms

Advanced Learning - SPS' three-tier program for advanced learners. Made up of APP, Spectrum and ALOs. (Note: the name of the district program is "Advanced Learning Services and Programs" but these three programs fall under "Highly Capable Services" of AL Services and Programs.

ALO - Advanced Learning Opportunity, the third tier of SPS' Advanced Learning program

AP - Advanced Placement. A national program of college-level classes given in high schools.

APP - Accelerated Progress Program. One of the levels of the Advanced Learning Program. NOTE: the name of this program is now "HIGHLY CAPABLE COHORT." This change occurred in 2014.

ASB - Associated Student Body. High school leadership groups.

AYP - Adequate Yearly Progress. Part of NCLB.

BEX - Building Excellence. SPS' capital renovation/rebuilding program that is funded via the BEX levy. Every 3 years there is the Operations levy and either the BEX or BTA levies as those two levies rotate in six year cycles).

BLT - Building Leadership Team. Staff members at a school who meet regularly to discuss building issues.

BTA - Buildings, Technology, Academics. The major maintenance/other capital fund for SPS. Originally BTA was to cover major maintenance like HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning), roofs, waterlines, etc.) but now covers wide swaths of items like athletic fields, technology and funding academic needs.

CAICEE - Community Advisory Committee for Investing in Educational Excellence. Created by former Superintendent Manhas in 2008, to issue a report about reform recommendations for SPS.

CSIP - Continuous School Improvement Plan, the plan for improvement for each school as required by state law.

EOC - End of Course Assessments, given in math and science, required for high school graduationESEA - Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the federal law that governs education, includes the NCLB accountability provisions.

e-STEM or e-STEAM - STEM or STEAM curriculum with an environmental focus.

FACMAC - Facilities and Capacity Management Advisory Committee. A district committee comprises of an all-volunteer citizen group created in 2012 to help bring research and ideas to capacity management issues in the district.

FERPA - Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. A federal law that protects students' privacy

FRL - Free and reduced lunch.

FTE - Full Time Equivalent

FY - Fiscal Year

Highly Capable Services - NEW name (as of 2014) as umbrella name for these programs: Highly Capable Cohort (formerly APP), Spectrum and ALO (Advanced Learning Opportunities).

HSPE - High School Proficiency Exam, state assessment that replaced the WASL for 10th graders, required for graduation

HQT - Highly Qualified Teacher, a standard set by federal law

IA - Instructional Assistant

IB - International Baccalaureate program. An international program of advanced classes that can either be taken as stand alone or as part of an overall IB program.

IDEA - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The federal law that governs special education

MAP - Measures of Academic Progress. A computer-based adaptive assessment made by NWEA and originally purchased by the district for use as a district-wide formative assessment but now used for a wide variety of purposes.

MSP - Measurement of Student Progress, the state proficiency assessment that replaced the WASL for students in grades 1-8

MTSS - Multi-Tiered Systems of Support

NCLB - No Child Left Behind, a provision of the federal education law, ESEA, introduced during the George W. Bush administration